A Forgotten Song - (Humanstuck! Equadia)
by purplebloodedglasses
Summary: Edward Zahhak is walking home from his job at the police station when he runs into a familiar face in the rain. But as he brings her home to his apartment, will the feeling of uneasiness subside?
1. Chapter 1

The day was dark, dreary, and desolate as the buildings of New York City stood reaching to the grey mass of clouds above them. The massive storms that had been going on for the past week had taken a hold of the city, causing people to flee to the safety of their homes and leaving the streets barren, wet and cold. Rumbles of thunder sounded above the antennas of the skyscrapers and the rain came down in a heavy downpour. But through all this misery and darkness, the sound of singing from an alleyway cut through the air. A medium sized girl was slumped against the dingy, dirty, stained concrete, her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her name was Adriana Megido, or as some people called her Ada, and she couldn't be more than 19. Her dark irises, almost black in color, looked up at the grey monster above her, and she smiled slightly. Her pale complexion was grayer than normal because of the darkness that surrounded her, and her clothes were completely soaked through, showing that she had not been able to take shelter during the pouring rains of the day. But the dirt on her clothes and skin still stayed without washing off, almost as if the stains were engraved on their respective surfaces. Her thin, garnet, off the shoulder, long sleeved top was ripped and torn slightly, especially at the hem and ends of the sleeves. Her black skirt, almost coal in color, was also ripped and torn, and she played with the frayed edges between her fingers. She was shoeless, and her knees were scraped up, scarred and bruised, as were her arms and back under her shirt. Her dark chocolate hair, which usually fell in nice waves around her face and mid-back, was now straight and hanging down, wet and dripping from the downpour. But none of this seemed to dour her mood as she continued to sing and smile. It was soft in tone and echoed throughout the streets, drifting in the direction of a person walking down the concrete, their footsteps echoing as much as her voice.

The footsteps would be echoing, since they belonged to a 26 year old, 6'2 man with a heavy set of steps. His white, button up shirt hugged his torso and arms, which were muscled from a good exercise regimen and diet. The shirt went all the way down to his wrists, and on the left wrist lay a metallic watch with a lit blue display on it. His light tan skin was slightly grayed because of the lack of light flitting through the clouds, but it still had indescribable warmth to it. In addition to his shirt, he had on a pair of black pants, white socks, and black boots, the bottoms of the pants high enough to that they did not drag along the ground and collect water from the pavement. The final touches to the man's outfit were the blue police jacket that hung over his shoulder, wet from the rain and heavier because of it, and a grey umbrella which he held over his head to shield himself from the drops. Despite the cold of the air at the moment, the man didn't shiver, didn't falter, and walked straight on ahead, his deep blue eyes focused on the sidewalk ahead and getting home to his stylish New York apartment.

That was when he heard the singing.

He stopped for a moment, listening to the beautiful sound drifting through the air. It almost sounded…familiar to him, but with the amount of rain in the air, it was unsure of whom it reminded him. The thought of going home had been pushed back in his mind, and the thought of finding the source of this music surfaced. Holding his head up, he turned in a circle to find the direction of the sound, realizing that it lay on the path that he was going in the first place. He found the alley and peered his head inside, letting his eyes adjust to the sudden darkness, but then double taking when he saw the lovely girl in front of him. _"How could someone like that be sitting in an alley like this on a rainy evening?"_ he thought. She wasn't loitering, since this wasn't private property, and she wasn't really disturbing the peace since her voice could only be picked up by the most discerning of ears. Therefore, he couldn't bring himself to arrest her, but he still wanted to see what was going on.

"Hello, officer," the girl said, causing the man to jump in surprise. Her speaking voice echoed just as much as her singing voice, drifting along and flowing through the man's ears. "What brings you out here in such inclement weather?"

"I…uh…well, I was just…" The man rubbed the back of his head and messed up his damp, light brown hair, which usually hung in a ponytail at mid neck, but was now slightly plastered to his skin by the rain. Straightening up and adjusting his shirt, he answered in a deep, stern voice. "I was heading to my apartment, since I was finished my tasks at the station." After a few moments, he added, "I could ask you the same question, miss. What are you doing out in this weather? Aren't you cold?"

"I am not that cold. When you have been out here for as long as I have, you tend to get used to the changing temperatures throughout the day."

"And how long would that be, miss?"

"A very long time, sir. Maybe hours, maybe days, maybe weeks. I haven't really been keeping track of the time as it has passed me by. I have just been observing the cars and people, wondering where they are going and what they are thinking."

"Well, hopefully it is not either of the latter two," the man said with a stern tone as he knelt down and looked into the black eyes of the girl. They seemed so familiar…everything about her seemed so familiar…but he could not put his finger on it. "Why have you been sitting out here instead of somewhere warmer and drier?"

The girl looked at him for a few seconds before standing up to her full 5'7 height and placing her hands behind her back. "You see, sir, my older sister has a habit of kicking me out of the house so that her and her 'friends' can 'hang out' in our basement and her room. She doesn't want me to bother her, so she banishes me for the night and I wander around the city. Most nights, my friends will take me in and let me stay with them, but some nights, they are rather busy and cannot. Then I just sit out in the alley, like I am currently, and wait for the night to turn into morning."

The man's soul started to ignite with fire, like someone had taken a match to it. How dare this girl be forced upon the street so that her sister can take part in unsavory activities. It was ludicrous! "Come with me, miss. I will convince your sister to let you stay, even if I have to do it by force!" He grabbed the girl's hand, and immediately jumped, feeling how freezing it was. It was as if her skin were made of ice, smooth for the most part but damaged in others, as evident by the scraped knees, scars, and bruises.

"It is all right, sir. You do not need to force her to open the door. This has been going on for quite a while, so she will not change her ways anytime soon." The girl shook her head, her soaked dark chocolate hair whipping around her body and collecting as much water as it was releasing. Her eyes almost seemed to grow a shade lighter as she looked at the man, a small smile growing on her face as she leaned against the building. "Please trust me on this."

"Well…I can't have you staying out here in the cold and rain. Why don't you stay with me until the morning? I have an obligation to protect the citizens of this city, so if that means letting a stranger in my apartment, then I am more than willing." Realizing how up front he was being, he blinked his eyes and rubbed the back of his head nervously, uneasiness in his stance. "I mean, if you would be all right with that. I would not want to make you uncomfortable. If you would much rather prefer a different living accommodation, like a hotel room for the night, I could pay for that as well."

The girl stared into his deep blue eyes with her dark ones, shaking her head gently and causing the man to flinch a little. "Staying in your apartment would be lovely. Thank you, sir." She curtsied a little, holding the ends of her skirt, and the man flinched again, nervously smiling. "_That was what…"_ He put the thought out of his mind and started to walk out of the alley, gesturing for her to follow him.

To say that the girl walked gracefully would be an understatement. It was as if she glided over the pavement, her steps deliberate and careful and light. The man had never seen such delicacy from anyone, and he was thoroughly astonished. Surely, she did not just walk like that normally; there must have been several years of ballet training or manners courses to achieve such elegance. The girl looked at the man watching her, smiling a little and walking faster so that she could keep up with his pace. The man quickly looked away, not wanting to stare into those black eyes, the face that somehow started to draw him in. He did, however, hold the umbrella so that it was covering both of their heads equally, making sure that she was at least a bit drier.

"So, whom do I have the pleasure of staying with tonight?" the man asked, trying to keep a crack from surfacing in his deep voice.

"My name is Adriana, sir." The girl smiled softly, looking ahead at the crosswalk they were approaching.

"It is nice to meet you…Adriana…" the man said, the name swirling around his mouth and landing on his tongue. _"Adriana…Adriana…Adriana…"_ he chanted silently to himself, feeling as if the name had any significance at all, but drawing a mental blank. "My name is Officer Edward Zahhak, but you may just call me Edward if you wish."

"It is a pleasure, Edward," Adriana nodded her head and looked up at him, Edward sneaking a glance at her and meeting her eyes. She just looked so fragile, like a porcelain doll that had seen some bad times and was in need of a repair. Her hair, her eyes, her smile, her skin…everything screamed "doll" to him. Suddenly, he was quickly shocked out of his thought process when a cold sensation bit his skin, and he looked down to see Adriana holding his hand.

"So, what is your apartment like? Does it have a plethora of expensive furniture pieces like I hear many citizens on the street claim to possess?" she asked casually, but in a quiet tone, her voice almost hollow sounding, proving that it wasn't just the alley that was affecting her voice. It made the man forget his thoughts for a second; the more he talked to this girl, the more he got this uneasy feeling in his stomach. What was the matter with him_? "Hunger. I am just hungry, that is all."_ He convinced himself as he walked down the pavement, his eyes straight ahead.

It took him a minute to realize that he hadn't answered her question. "I am terribly sorry. I seem to be…distracted today." He rubbed his head and sighed. "My apartment is not filled with fancy furniture, but I did pick the best pieces I could find and arranged them in a stylish array so that it all fit together." As he talked, he could feel his confidence rising, even smiling a little bit. "I am proud of it, and some of the pieces were given to me by my father. He decided to let me have them after he switched jobs a few years ago, not wanting them to clutter up his house. So now they humbly sit in my apartment. I do hope you will like it."

"I am sure I will," Adriana said as she looked up at the large, reddish apartment building, its windows glittering with rain and its door slightly smeared with hand-prints from the people who walked in and out of the building. The building was actually in very good condition, its bricks solid and without stains while its panes of glass showed no cracks or debasement. Even the frames around the windows weren't caked with dirt like many of the other apartment buildings had, which surprised her. However, she simply just offered a kind smile and walked inside the lobby with Edward.

Inside, she observed that the decorated was an expert in his line of work, for the silvers and blacks mixed perfectly with the greens and browns in the area. The couches were a rich emerald, the floors were composed of shiny brown and black tiles, and the walls were a light grey with lighter grey patterns. Adriana continued to hold Edward's hand gently as she walked, her bare feet barely making any noise as people stared at her from all corners of the room. They looked almost fearful of her, wondering where she had been dragged from to be in such bad condition. Edward felt his temper flare a little as they stared at her, letting go of her hand and unconsciously placing his own over her shoulder, stepping to her side so that he blocked her from their view.


	2. Chapter 2

The pair quickly got to the elevator, Edward pressing the up button and then placing both hands behind his back as he stood firmly. He stole a glance over at Adriana, who was now casually rubbing her fingers along the edge of her extremely torn skirt and humming lightly. The tune traveled to his ears and bounced around in his brain, soothing him to the point of relaxation.

"So, this sister of yours…do your parents know of her…vulgar actions? Surely, they must at least know of her kicking you out and have tried to stop her from doing this." He said as he stepped inside and let the elevator car take them to the fifth floor of the building. He awaited her answer with baited breath, standing up straight and looking at the climbing numbers above the doors.

"My mother works very late, so she comes home in the early hours of the morning and is too tired to check in with my sister." Adriana explained as she looked around the car and placed her hands by her sides, reaching her fingers down the fabric of her skirt. "She collapses on the couch and sleeps until mid-morning, when my sister has already disappeared from the house. However, I tend to return in the morning so that she can see that I am safe and sound."

"Well, that certainly is good to know," Edward nodded his head and stepped out when the doors opened, his eyes meeting a dark grey hallway with a few pictures spaced along the wall. Edward started to admire the left side paintings, thinking that the brush strokes that composed the flowers gave them texture and grace. He was just about to look at the other side when he did a double take and saw Adrian at the end of the hallway, standing by the door to his apartment. He swear that she had been a good 5 feet behind him and that he was walking a moderate pace, but even if she had been walking quickly, her feet still should have made noise…right?

"I see that you are…you must be…eager…how did you…" he stammered, trying to find the right words, but failing miserably. He simply just took his key, which had a little horse charm dangling off it, and unlocked the door, leading her into an elegantly decorated living space, complete with antiques just as he had mentioned before. There were a lot of dark blue and white things, including couches and chairs, bed sheets and covers, bowls and glasses, and curtains and loose blankets. The antiques were in a variety of colors, more golds and silvers than anything else, and looked expensive and fragile. She didn't dare touch them, for fear that they would break easily. A trail of water followed her as she glided across the carpet and sat down on the floor near the navy couch, pulling her legs up.

"Would you like to take a shower to freshen yourself up? I do not have female clothes, unfortunately, but I could provide you with…clothes that may fit." He said with an uneasy pause, looking from side to side and then upwards.

"That would be lovely," she said with a slight smile and stood up. Her voice seemed even hollower now in the open, empty space of the apartment, almost airy in tone. "May I please pick out my clothes? I assume that you know which drawers the clothes you are talking about lie inside." Walking down the corridor, she looked back at him with her dark eyes, sending a shiver down his spine and making him follow her in a slightly trace-like state. They entered a room in the back, most likely a spare guest room, and she walked up to an old oak dresser against the wall, no dust covering the surface or residing in the cracks.

"They are in the bottom most drawer; they are old clothes, from when I was younger." He explained as she took out a pair of dark blue sweatpants and a white tee shirt with blue lining the collar, sleeves, and hem. She also took a pair of light blue boxers with a white checkered pattern on it, smiling lightly.

"Thank you, Edward," she said with a nod and walked to the bathroom, closing and locking the door as she took in the white and golden bathroom that laid in front of her. She looked at herself in the mirror, the dark circles under her eyes prominent on her frighteningly pale skin, her black irises staring at her reflection. The scars looked even worse in the light, but she could only smile at them lightly. Blinking her eyes twice, she started to peel off her wet clothes, laying them on the marble countertop as the steam in the bathroom rose to the ceiling. Once it got hot enough, she stepped into the shower, looking down at her stomach and sighing with a sad smile.

Edward went to his room, sitting on his bed and taking his ponytail of hair out gently. He sat there for a few moments before grabbing his head in his hands and lowering it towards his lap. He didn't know what noise he made at that moment, but it was somewhere between a growl and a cry, loud and frustrated and confused. Why was he feeling like this? What was wrong with him today? Ever since he had talked to Adriana, he had felt this eerie feeling in his gut, his heart rate increasing every time she spoke to or touched him. He grabbed his hair harder, huffing a little as a flush of frustration tinted his cheeks. He had to relax; he just had to relax. _"Maybe a nice, hot shower will soothe my nerves." _He thought coherently as he stumbled up and walked into his own bathroom, designed like the one Adriana was in, but bigger.

After Adriana was done, she turned off the water and dried herself off with a fluffy towel that was hanging on a silver tone bar on the wall. It felt nice against her pale skin, and her scars had no blood leaking from them so it did not ruin the fabric. Quickly getting dressed in his clothes, she gratefully rubbed her palms against the dry shirt and sighed contently. Her feet silently pressed into the carpet as she walked into the main room with the couches and chairs, combing her hair and then tying it into a ponytail as she walked. The curls in her hair instantly started to form as it hit the air, a few pieces falling into her face as she sat on the cushions and tucked her legs under her body. She didn't have to wait long before Edward joined her on the couch, wearing a navy blue tank top and black shorts that hit below his knees.

"You look much better now that you have cleaned yourself up," Edward said, hoping that he didn't sound rude, but the slight smile that she gave him eased his mind. Casually crossing his legs, he placed his hands in his lap and felt his body sink into the couch, looking at her form leaning against the pillows. The fabric didn't even seem to give under her weight, staying as perfect as it was before she sat down. Taking a deep breath, he looked at her and asked, "Is there anything I can make you to eat? Staying out in the rain for that long must have made you weak to some extent."

"Noodles would be lovely, thank you very much. They are my favorite." Adriana answered softly, running her hands along the sweatpants and giving off a faint grin.

"Heh…I haven't had noodles in a while actually…" Edward answered with a bit of a hesitation, getting up from the cushion prison and walking over to the small kitchen that housed a small stove, a counter top with a sink, an oven, a microwave, and a bunch of cabinets. He took out a big pot from under the sink and filled it with water setting it on the stove to boil. _"Now, where did I put those noodles?"_ he pondered internally as she searched all his cupboards, finally finding a pack in the back of the farthest cupboard. He froze up a little when he read the package; soba noodles, a day before its expiration date, but that was not the reason his pupils shrunk and his hands started to shake. They reminded him of…no, he didn't want to think about that; he had a guest. Opening the package and dumping the noodles in, the smell instantly filled the room as Adriana hummed happily.

"I love Asian noodles," she breathed, loud enough for him to hear, but just barely.

"Really…that is certainly…interesting to say the least," Edward hesitated, his hand shaking a little as he stirred and a few beads of sweat forming on his brow. This didn't interfere with his cooking, however, as he perfectly cooked the food and made a little, flavorful sauce to go with it as well. In another pot, he broiled some vegetables and added a bit of butter to give them flavor, but not overboard. Butter had never been a big part of his diet, but a little bit here or there did taste good. Adriana eventually walked over and observed his progress, sitting on the sink counter and tilting her head.

"You are a very good chef," she smiled lightly and peered over his shoulder. "You are even better than my mother, and it is a rarity when she cooks, so if this is a daily thing for you, I am impressed."

"Well, thank you, Adriana," he said with a nod, "I used to cook decently as a teenager, but I really picked up the passion once I finished college. It seemed like a good opportunity to increase my skill set now that I was surrounded by urban landscapes and fast food restaurants. So I took a cooking course, bought some ingredients, and tried my hand at a complicated dish that I had seen in a magazine. It turned out pleasantly, and I took a picture of it." Looking upwards, he added "I don't know why I took a picture of it, but I did."

"What was it?"

"It was salmon with a sweet glaze, with mashed potatoes and vegetables on the side. I find fish to be a delicious alternative if someone wishes to not eat meat one night."

"I agree with that fully. Meat is all right on occasion, but fish are very tasty."

"Not many people I know share that opinion…" he trailed off, but maintained a small smile as he finished up the noodles and sauce, taking out two white and blue plates in addition to two sets of silverware and two napkins. It was odd setting for two, but it was also a nice experience.

"Well, I am glad to be one of those people." Adriana nodded as she walked over to the small table, sitting down in a chair and looking down at her plate. The smell wafted into her nose delicately, making her smile a little more and making her dark eyes seem to glow with a strange backlight. He was so distracted by the latter result that he bumped his leg on the table, a sharp pain shooting up his muscles as he sucked in and exhaled outwards roughly.

"Are you OK?" she asked, concerned for his well-being.

"Yes, yes I am OK," Edward said as he sat down, the pain already subsiding. "My question is…" He pointed at her scars, bruises, and cuts, biting his lip and sighing. "Do those hurt at all? Would you like me to bandage them up for you? It would be no trouble for me; my training has given me the ability to dress wounds." He let the steam waft into his face as he swirled noodles onto his fork and lifted it towards his mouth.

"No thank you, Edward. These scars were a result of both my sister and those who I thought cared for me." Gracefully eating a forkful of noodles herself, she hummed as she enjoyed the taste and then swallowed, continuing to talk afterwards. "My sister tends to abuse me, hitting and kicking me when I get in her way, which happens a lot. The majority of the cuts and scars are from two people; my best friend and my former boyfriend." She paused for a minute, adjusting her temperament as he eyes grew darker. "One day, my friend just turned on me, yelling at me and scratching my shoulder with her nails. Every time I talked to her after that, she injured me in some way. My former boyfriend, on the other hand, was always abusive from the day I dated him. I just didn't pick it up at the time. He started to get more and more violent until the day I couldn't take any more and broke up with him." She ran her hands over the raised, red scars. "They never seem to go away, always a reminder of people in my past who broke my trust."

The thud of the metal fork was heard behind her, and she looked to see that it was now firmly embedded in the tan painted walls of his apartment. "I cannot stand for this defilement of a beautiful girl like you. When I find this boy, I will arrest him on the spot and put him in prison for a very long time!" He exclaimed, instantly covering his mouth and flushing a little. He had always been known for swift, emotionless justice and just for being very collected and strong in character. But this was a totally different side of him, a side that he didn't even know that he had. He looked at Adriana, fearing that she hated him now, and seeing her eyes lighten a little bit.

Adriana, who had finished half her noodles, simply looked at him, stood up and walked over to where he was sitting. She lifted her fingers and then placed them on his shoulders, her thumbs resting on his neck, and started to rub in circles. The smell of the food still circulated around the room gently, seeming to blend with her soft humming.


	3. Chapter 3

All the tension that Edward had felt in his body, all the anger and frustration, seemed to instantly disappear, dissipating like smoke into the air. He tried to say something in protest, but all he could manage was a soft, growling moan that resonated in his throat. That surprised him even more than the burst of anger; her hands suddenly felt so warm on his neck, easing every fiber of his being and allowing him the intense relaxation he needed after the evening he had had.

"The scars do not hurt me anymore, and I have long since forgiven them for what they have done. You do not have to do anything rash to them; they have moved on to better things, hopefully with people that they respect more than they respected me." Adriana kept talking as she rubbed all over Edward's neck and shoulders, easing another sound from him and feeling his body tilt back in his chair.

"All right…if you…insist, miss…" Edward tried to keep his composure, a genuine, pleasured smile forming on his lips as he leaned his head backwards and looked into her dark eyes. The blue of his irises grew brilliant with tranquility and happiness, a faint flush growing on his cheeks.

"Thank you, Edward," she breathed, removing her hands from her neck and walking back to her place, eating the rest of her noodles and then clearing both place settings from the table. It was the least she could do for someone who had taken her in and shown her kindness. Rinsing and then putting them in the dishwasher, happy that his dishwasher wasn't busted like her mother's, she returned to the couch, laying her pale, bare feet on the cushions softly.

It was a good thing that she had taken care of the table because Edward was still sitting at the table, looking down at the dark wooden surface with wide eyes. As soon as she had taken her hands away from his shoulders, he had instantly gotten cold chills, and they still stayed with him even after she had sat down on the cushions. It froze up his spine, made him breathe a little heavier, and partially blocked the rational part of his brain. While the warmth relaxed him, this feeling scared him, and he instantly shot a gaze at Adriana, who waved at him with a smile and a nod. He was losing control of his demeanor, his stomach doing somersaults and his mind foggy with thoughts.

He walked over and sat on the couch with her, instantly picking up the TV remote and turning on his favorite channel, Discovery. They were playing Planet Earth, and he tried to calm his mind again with the images of tree frogs balancing on leaves in the jungles of South America. The voice over started to talk about these species, about how they lived and moved and found food, and Edward leaned back in the cushions, his hands by his sides as his body relaxed a little bit, some tension still evident in his muscles.

Adriana turned her attention towards the screen, gazing at the lush landscapes that the camera swept across. It was breathtaking, to say the least, so she quickly became interested in the subject matter. The picture on the TV screen was very crisp and pure; he had purchased an HD TV one day while walking home from work. It was well worth the expense, since he could watch what he wanted in perfect clarity and sound.

A low rumble sounded from around them as the waterfall on the TV crashed at the bottom of a cliff, echoing in the surround sound speakers. Adriana placed a hand over her stomach, feeling the rumble shake her thin body, and lay her head on Edward's muscular shoulder, smiling softly as the voice over talked about the various monkeys that lived in the jungle trees.

Edward froze up again, feeling her cold cheek on his warm skin and shivering a bit. The same churning in his stomach and chills down his spine surfaced again, making beads of sweat appear on his forehead. She didn't even seem to notice his condition, enjoying the show as peacefully as she carried herself. He tried to focus on the something, anything that would keep him from losing it completely, but it was getting rather difficult. All of a sudden, it was like someone had taken his arm and was dragging it towards his body, bringing Adriana closer to him. He willed his muscles to stop, but the feeling of her cold face on his neck, her hand now resting on the fabric of his tank top and making the skin underneath it chill, was too powerful for his mind to overcome. Adriana adjusted to this change, tucking her legs underneath her more and glancing at him kindly. He couldn't help but look at her as well.

The show went on for two more hours, and as the credits rolled, Adriana looked at the stoic Edward, his eyes glued to the TV and his free hand by his side. The clock read 11:00, but at that point, he was too exhausted to try to stay up any longer. "I will be going to bed soon. If you wish, you can sleep in the guest bedroom where the old dresser lay. It is surprisingly comfortable, and I keep it neat in case guests come to my house." Edward explained as he stood up stiffly, looking at the young lady who he had been spending the night with.

"It is all right, Edward. I can just sleep on the couch." Adriana's voice echoed through the room smiling softly from the couch. Before Edward could object, she walked over to him and placed her hands on his sides, rubbing them softly with her fingers and generating that same strange warmth from her fingers. "It is fine. I do not want you to worry about me. I will be fine."

Edward's posture started to loosen, his whole body overcome with tingles as an extremely relaxed smile crawled onto his lips. Adriana helped him to his bed, making sure that he fell on top of the covers and not on the floor; the tingles had affected the way he walked, and he was still feeling them as he watched her walk out of the room. He had no words to describe the confusion that he was in, feeling pleasure and fear intermingling in his body. As the last of the tingles subsided, he closed his eyes and drifted asleep.

But he couldn't sleep for long; his mind would not allow him to stay still. For the first time in a while, he tossed and turned, thinking about the girl that was out there on the couch, most likely sleeping as gracefully as she walked and ate. Imagining her hair draped over her pale face delicately as her head rested on a pillow caused his eyes to fly open and stare at the ceiling. He only got 20 minutes of sleep at a time before waking up again and staying awake for 10 minutes. Eventually, around 2 in the morning, he couldn't take it any longer and threw the covers off his body, walking out into the living area and heading for the kitchen to make himself some calming tea. When he looked at the living room, however, he didn't find Adriana sleeping. She was instead sitting on the open window sill, staring out at the stars and tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Could you not sleep either?" he asked quietly, walking over and standing behind her, careful to not get too close and knock her out of the open window. "Maybe you have insomnia?"

"I just enjoy looking at the stars, and this is when most of the lights of the city are out, so I have the clearest view of the night sky." Adriana answered quietly. "Look how lovely they are."

"They are indeed very pretty," Edward said as he sat close to her, looking up at the stars as well.

A few minutes of silence passed before Adriana spoke. "Do you find police work interesting? Do you like what you do, protecting citizens and observing crime scenes?"

"Well, generally I enjoy the job, but the blood scenes are not really my…cup of tea." Edward said, looking at the kitchen and standing up, walking over to the stove and starting to boil a pot of water. "Though I sometimes have to go on those types of scenes and hold my breath."

"I see," Adriana smiled and looked at him as he returned to his seat beside her. "Were you perhaps involved in a specific case that happened years ago? A 19 year old girl was found dead in an alleyway on Charleston Street, her body splayed out on the floor and the ground saturated in her blood. She had wavy, dark chocolate brown hair and light brown eyes that looked reddish in the light, with pale skin and a pretty smile. The killer had stabbed her in the gut and twisted the knife, the blood staining her garnet top and leaking down her body. It was raining, just like it is tonight. There was no trace of the man or his knife, and there was barely any evidence on the scene." The girl looked out at the sky, a few raindrops blowing into the room and falling onto the ground.

"That case was the reason I wanted to become a policeman. That girl was my crush Adriana M-" Edwards stopped in his tracks, looking at the girl in front of him as his heart started to beat incredibly fast, his breath catching in his chest. "N-no… i-it can't be…" he stammered, his pupils shrinking.

Adriana turned around to face him, her eyes completely white and glowing softly. Her smile was kind and beautiful, and her skin became even paler, making her injuries stand out more than they did before.

"Hello, Eddy."

Edward couldn't muster up any words; instead, he grabbed Adriana and hugged her to his chest, not caring if he broke a bone or not. It was her; it was Adriana, the girl who he had fallen in love with all those years ago before she left her house one night and never came back. Tears started to flow from his eyes as he closed her and hugged her tighter, trying desperately to make sure that this wasn't just some vision that his feverish mind was conjuring up.

"I've missed you," she said in a soft, hollow, echoing tone, and a few tears started to fall from her white eyes as well, not making any spots on the carpet like Edward's did.

"So, the sister, the friend, the boyfriends…they were all…" Edward choked out, his deep voice shot from the tears that kept flowing from his eyes. He never cried, but he just couldn't hold them in this time.

"Yes, my sister Debbie abused me in my home, Victoria Serket turned on me and scratched me with her nails, and Jacob English was the abusive boyfriend that I broke up with." She explained, rubbing his back with her freezing cold hands. "I always covered them with my clothes so no one would be concerned. The reason they are still on my skin to this day is because I died with them. Like I said before, they do not hurt me; they only serve as reminders"

"Th-the noodles…the m-massages…the nature sh-shows…"

"Just because I am dead does not mean that I still do not retain the personality of when I was alive. Everything I loved and did then is still present in my mind."

Edward stayed silent for a moment before gripping onto her extremely tightly and growling. "I will KILL them for injuring you! I will hunt down the man who caused you to leave this earth, even if he is already in jail, and kill him on the spot! No should ever hurt you! NO ONE!" He had lost it, lost it worse than when he had first heard the news of it 7 years ago and cried in his bedroom. His voice cracked angrily, his eyes intense and his grip tight around her body. He was stupid to not see the signs; it was so clear to him now that he processed all that she has told him. Now that she was here, he never wanted her to leave him. Corpse or not, he loved her more than anything in the world.

"I love you too, Eddy," she said softly, able to read his thoughts as she rubbed his back and let the strange warmth flow from her hands like a faucet, going into his muscles and relaxing them. "I wanted to tell you so badly that I loved you, but the man got to me before morning's light and silenced me forever."

The tears continued to flow, but his whole demeanor had changed; she felt the same way. She would never lie to him, and she had said the thing that he had not expected her to say. He stood up, carrying Adriana over to the couch with him, and lying down, holding her close to him as he sobbed out of happiness and agony in tandem.

"How am I…able to hold you now…and see you…in your condition?" Edward choked out through large tears, biting his lip as she placed her cold, dead cheek on his shoulder, and he felt chills go up and down his spine again.

"It is a power that I have learned over the years, along with flight and relaxing people using the warmth I can generate with my hands. I do not become visible and solid often, because most people do not notice me anyway in that alley, but I have from time to time shot a beam of warmth into somebody to make them a little more cheerful." She snuggled closer to him, his arms tightening around her frail, frigid body with more care than anything he had done in his life. "I knew it was you when I first saw you, so I became visible and solid."

"R-really? You did this for me?" Edward sniffled, his deep blue eyes shiny from tears and his tanned red and warm. "I never thought you cared that much for me. I mean, you were with…"

She laid her hand on his cheek, feeling how warm it was, and then kissed him on the lips, her cold ones gently caressing his as her other hand continued to rub his back. Edward's brain turned to complete chaos, rational thought out the window as he kissed back, holding her as close to himself as he possibly could and tearing up. Adriana was tearing too, but with a smile on her face as she continued to kiss softly and carefully. After a few moments, she broke it off and looked at him, how wonderful he was and how she was finally able to convey her feelings after so long. Edward smiled back at her like he never had before, all the warmth and light from his soul expanding forth in his chest as he continued to hold her with his strong arms.

"Those who stay around after their deaths mostly have unfinished business to take care of before they pass to the other side." Adriana explained as she looked at her arm. It appeared to be a little more translucent than normal, and the rest of her body was following sooth. "This was mine."

All the warmth in Edward's soul turned into crushing agony, and he held her tighter while he still could, not wanting to ever let her go. "You can't go! You make my life complete, and I-I…"

"I love you too, Edward, more than anyone I have ever met. I should have spoken out sooner, but I did not, and that sealed my fate." Her body became more translucent, his old clothes now stark on her fading body. She looked down and saw the pain in his eyes, his irises turning darker, and she started to cry ghostly tears. Slowly reaching down towards her neck, she undid something around it and placed the object around Edward's neck. The object instantly became solid as she continued to fade. Leaning down, she whispered, "Goodbye Edward. If you ever feel a burst of warmth hit you out of the blue, you know that is me watching you." She kissed him softly on the lips, holding him close while she could and smiling lightly as her ghostly tears continued to drip.

After a few moments, Edward felt his arms and his old clothes drop onto his stomach, and he looked down; she was completely gone, the cold sensation of her lips still tingling on his and the metal item still touching his skin. Holding it in his palm, he gasped and realized that she had given him her tiny bird cage necklace, a similarly tiny bone ratting inside the metal bars. She had wanted to be an archeologist when she grew up, and this was her prized possession. And now it was his.

"Adriana?! Come back to me!" He yelled out, repeating it as he held his head and cried loudly, stirring the neighbors from their sleep in the rooms adjacent, above, and below him. After what seemed like an eternity, he curled up on the couch, mumbling "I'll never forget you…" into the pillow. There was no trace of her left; the clothes that she had been wearing in the alleyway had disappeared from the counter, the cold feeling on his lips had vanished, and the drops of water from her body had dried up. Now all that remained was her necklace around his neck, an empty hole in his stomach, the clothes that he had leant to her, and the image of her beauty forever burned into his memory.

As he stared up at the ceiling, a warm feeling entered his gut, relaxing his body and making him smile a bit. The last of his tears flowed down his cheeks as he smiled and closed his eyes, knowing that she was watching him from above and that she'd never forget him either.


End file.
